Apparatus for drying short alimentary paste



Make 23 1937. N. J. CAVAGNARO 2374,458- APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORTALIMENTARY PASTE Filed Jan. 29, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR IQflficolas Jam 411mm,

BY 2 a ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29[

INVENTOR Mchlas cf. kz a lmra,

I ATTORNEY A JL N. J. CAVAGNARO APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORT ALIMENTARYPASTE March 23, 19 37.

March 23, 1937. N. .1. CAVAGNARO APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORT ALIMBNI'ARPASTE Filed Jan. 29,

1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nnnulnumnnu".w IIII -llll A m a m N 5! R v/m m mam w m JM Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUSFOR. DRYING SHORT ALIMEN- TARY PASTE New York Application January 29,1935, Serial No. 3,925

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in method and apparatus fordrying short cut alimentary paste, and also for drying egg noodles andsimilar paste products.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel method ofdrying paste products, and especially for drying egg noodles, wherebynot only is checking or souring of the product avoided, but its color ismaintained against bleaching during the drying treatment.

The invention has for a further object taprovide a novel apparatus bywhich the various drying steps may beautomatically-carried out,,i. e.preliminary drying, annealing, and final drying steps are automaticallyand successively applied to the product under the most sanitary andefficient conditions, so that during the processes the product isuntouched by human hands, and is finally delivered in finished statefree from dust and ready for immediate packing. The novel apparatus,according to this invention, is designed for continuous operation,subject to full control of desired conditions attendant upon eachtreatment step.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are 50 shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. l is a side elevation of the novel drier apparatus per se and asadapted to carry on the novel method of treatment according to thisinvention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through theapparatus; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same,taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section,taken on line 4-4. in Fig, 2. 'Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing amodified arrange- 40 ment of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the 45 novel drying apparatus, asshown in Figs. 1, 2,

and 3, comprises a cabinet or housing 6, the intcrior of which ishorizontally divided, by partitions I and 8. to form therein an upperpreliminary drying chamber 9, an intermediate anneal- 50 ing chamber I0and a lower final drying chamber H. Extending longitudinally within thepreliminary drying chamber 9 are a plurality of horizontal endlessconveyer aprons, preferably at least two in number, viz. the upper apronI2 and 55 the lower apron l3, the latter being spaced below upon thereceiving end of the lower apron I3; 10

these aprons running in opposite directions, e. g. the upper apron l2running from left to right and the lower apron from right to left. Theaprons l2 and B are made of wire mesh fabric so as to allow air tounobstructedly pass therethrough. 15 Arranged at the top of the cabinetor housing 6, above the receiving end of the upper apron I2, is a meansfor delivering the material to be treated into the preliminary dryingchamber 8 and onto the receiving end of the upper apron i2. 20 Thismeans comprises a conduit I6, through which the material may be movedfrom a source of supply either by gravity or pneumatically. Connectedwith the inner end of said conduit I6 is a delivery nozzle or chute ll,which is arranged 25 to oscillate about a vertical axis, whereby itsdischarge end is laterally swung from side to side. across the apron l2,thereby to spread out the delivered material upon and across the latter.Any suitable means may be provided for producing the desired oscillatorymovement of the delivery nozzle or chute l1. Illustrative of one suchmeans, said nozzle or chute I1 is provided with a pivotally mountedbracket l8, adapted to turn on a pivotal support l8, and extending fromsaid bracket is a lever arm IS. A driver shaft 66, of the subsequentlydescribed power transmission means, is provided with a crank-portion 20,which is operatively connected to the lever arm l9 by a connecting rod2|.

Connected with one side of the cabinet or housing 6 is an air intake box22, the interior of which provides an air chamber 23, and the wall ofthe cabinet or housing 6, intermediate the preliminary drying chamber 9and said air chamher 23 is provided with-one or more communicationopenings 24; In connection with said air intake box 22 is a hinged cover25, which can be adjusted in more or less open condition to admit airfrom the atmosphere into said air intake box. Within said air chamber 23is suitably mounted a source of heat for warming the air, the samepreferably comprising a steam radiator 26. Mounted on transverse shafts21 journaled in bearings 28 are air impeller fans 29,

which are respectively positioned at the comof which serves as a drivingshaft.

is located a drop chute'or hatchway 30 which extends through thepartition to communicate with the interior of the annealing chamber l0.Extending longitudinally through the interior of the annealing chamberit], is a horizontal endless conveyer apron 3 I, the receiving end ofwhich is disposed beneath the drop chute or hatchway 30, to extendtherefrom through the annealing chamber to and through an exit opening32 in an end wall thereof. This conveyer apron 3|, which runs from leftto right, is preferably made of canvas or similar flexible sheetmaterial, and the same is supported at its ends upon rollers 33,which'are fixed upon transverse shafts 34, one Arranged within saidannealing chamber Ill is a steam discharge pipe 35, low pressure steamto which is supplied through a delivery pipe '36 from a suitable source;said delivery pipe 36 being furnished with a control valve 31, ifdesired.

Extending longitudinally within the finaldrying chamber II are aplurality of horizontal endless conveyer aprons, which may vary innumber, four being shown by way of example, viz. a first conveyer apron38, a'secondconveyer apron 39, a third conveyer apron 40, and a fourthconveyer apron 4i, spaced apart .one below the other. These conveyeraprons are supported at their ends by rollers 42 fixed upon transverseshafts43, one roller for each apron being a driving roller the shafts ofwhich are driven by a suitable power transmission means, such e. g. asthat subsequently described. The receiving end of the first conveyerapron 38 is projected outwardly through an intake opening 44 provided inan end wall of the final drying chamber H, so as to be disposed beneaththe discharge end of said conveyer apron 3| issuing from the annealingchamber ill. The receiving end of said first conveyer apron 38 issurrounded by a hopper-like enclosure 45, and if desired a flexibleguide member 46 is mounted within the hopper-like enclosure to controlthe deposit of material onto the first conveyer apron 38 as the materialdrops from the conveyer apron 3| issuing from the annealing chamber H).The several conveyer aprons 38, 39, 40, and M are pref erably made ofwire mesh fabric to allow the circulation of air therethrough, and thesame are relatively arranged so thatthe discharge end of one overhangsthe receiving end of the next below; alternative conveyer aprons runningin opposite directions; g. the first conveyer apron 38 runs from rightto left, the second from left to right, the third again from right toleft, and

therefrom. Provided in a side wall of the final drying chamber II is anair admission opening 49 provided with control door 50, which can beadjusted in more or less open condition to admit air into the upperinterior of said final drying chamber ll. Arranged within the upperinterior of said final drying chamber H are a plurality of laterallyspaced longitudinally ex tending baflies 5|, preferably disposed atdifferent levels, and adapted to deflect incoming air downwardly atdifferent points for circulation through the chamber and the conveyeraprons therein for contact with the material carried by the latter fortreatment. Connected with the opposite side of said final drying chamberII is an enclosed air heating compartment 52, within which is suitablymounted a source of heat for warming air, the same pref-.

erably comprising a steam radiator '53. The previously described steamradiator 26 of the air intake box 22, as well assaid radiator 53, may besupplied 'by steam delivery piping 54 leading from a suitable steamsupply. The side wall of the final drying chamber H, adjacent to the airheating compartment 52 is 'provided with a plurality of spacedcommunication openings 55, leading from the lower end of said finaldrying chamber ll into the lower end of said air heating compartment 52,and is further provided with a communication opening 56, leading fromthe upper end of said air heating compartment 52 into the upper interiorof said final drying chamber l'l. Inthe lower portion of the outer wallof said air 'heating compartment 52 are air vent'openings5'l havingclosure members 58 which canbe adjusted in moreor less open conditions'tovent some of the air from said heating compartment 52 as occasion mayrequire. Mounted on transverse shafts 59 journaled in bearings 60 areair impeller "fans 6|, which are respectively positionedat thecommunication openings between the lower end of the final drying chamberH and the interior ofthe air heating compartment 52; these fans servingto drive the air admitted to the final drying chamber ilthrough he airheating compartment 52 so that the same is warmed therein, and thereuponreturned through the upper communication opening 56 for recirculationthrough the final drying chamber H.

Any suitable arrangement for applying power for operation of the variousconveyer aprons, air impeller fans, and other operable parts of theapparatus may be provided. Preferably a power source of the electricmotor type is desirable, and the transmission means operated thereby isso designed on speed reduction principles as to operate the variousconveyer aprons at predetermined relative speed ratios, whereby thetravel of material under the various treatment steps althoughcontinuous, is nevertheless predetermined as to length of time requiredas to each step. Illustrative embodiments of power transmission meansare shown in the drawings, the arrangement thereof being such that onemotor 62 is provided to supply operating power to the conveyer apronsand fans of the preliminary drying section of the apparatus, and also tothe conveyer apron of the annealing chamber section, while a separatemotor 63 is provided to supply operating power to the conveyer-apronsand fans of the final drying section of the apparatus. The motor 62 ispreferably mounted on the top of the housing v M, and ill through aspeed reduction transmission, comprising a pulley 68 on shaft 55 drivenby a belt and pulley drive 69 from a fan shaft 2?, a chain and sprocketreduction drive '50 between said shafts 65 and 56, and a chain andsprocket reduction drive ii between said shafts 66 and 61. The driveshafts it for the preliminary drying chamber conveyer aprons l2 and itare each provided with sprockets l2, and the drive shaft 38 for theannealing chamber conveyer apron 3! is provided with a properly sizedsprocket '13. The said sprockets l2 and iii are driven by a chain andsprocket drive It from the shaft iii. The motor 63 is mounted on thefioor adjacent to the housing or cabinet 6, and transmits throughinterconnecting belt and pulley drives 75, comparatively high speedrotation to the driving shafts 59 of the air impeller fans 6!. The motor63 is also utilized to drive transverse shafts l6 and 11 through speedreduction transmission, comprising a pulley F8 on said shaft l6 drivenby a belt and pulley drive 19 from the motor shaft, a pulley lie on saidshaft Tl driven by a belt and pulley drive ti from said shaft 16. Thedrive shafts d3 for the final drying chamber conveyer aprons 38 to Minclusive are each provided ,with sprockets 82, which are driven by achain and sprocket drive 83 from the shaft 'l'l, the chain of said driverunning over idler sprockets 8 1 mounted on transverse shafts 85,whereby a course of the chain may be alternately looped around thesprockets B2 to produce the opposite directional movements of alternateconveyer aprons 38 to ill inclusive.

The novel method of drying, according to this invention, and as carriedout by aid of the novel apparatus above described, consists in thefollowing treatment. Assuming that the material to be dried is an eggnoodle product. This product possesses. a characteristic yellow color,and it is highly desirable that this color be retained in the finishedproduct, i. e. not alone is it necessary for the product to bethoroughly dried without checking or weakening of its structure, buttendency of the desired yellow color to bleach out during the dryingprocess should also be prevented. In treating an egg noodle product, thefreshly formed noodle elements issuing from a cutter, or short pasteproducts issuing from the;

press are delivered, as e. g. through the conduit it, to the deliverynozzle or chute N. This nozzle or chute being oscillated from side toside over the receiving end of the first conveyer apron it in thepreliminary drying chamber 9 of the apparatus, efiectively delivers thenoodle elements upon said conveyer apron inspread out arrangement overand upon the surface thereof. By operation of the apparatus the conveyerapron l2 slowly carries the thus outspread noodle elements through thepreliminary drying chamber ll, said noodle elements falling from thedischarge end of the conveyer apron it onto the receiving end of theconveyer apron l3 so that the elements twice traverse the length of thepreliminary drying member 9, and are consequently thus subjected topreliminary drying treatment over an adequate period of time. In thepreliminary drying warm air is delivered by the impeller fans 29 fromthe air intake chamber 23 into and circulated through the interiorof thepreliminary drying chamber 9 in contact with the noodle elementstravelingtherethrough, such air exhausting through the controllableports 2%. During this preliminary drying treatment the warm air currentstend to absorb and carry off moisture nearest the surface of the noodleelements, leaving, however, a considerable amount of moisture within theinternal parts or core of the paste dough. If such surface drying iscontinued too long, the surface of the paste dough is likely tobecome-hard and brittle, and would tend to check and crack with theconsequent weakening of the noodle structure and ultimate spoiling ofthe same for commercial handling and distribution. Furthermore, thedrying tends to bleach color from the noodle dough, leaving the productpale and whitish, instead of possessing the bright yellow color sohighly desirable in an egg noodle product. For these reasons, thepreliminary drying must be terminated, both to arrest bleaching actionand to give time for the still residual moisture of the core parts ofthe noodle elements to work out to the surface. Ina continuous treatmentprocess, as here involved, the period of pre liminary drying efiect isdetermined by the speed of travel of the conveyer aprons I2-l3, and isautomatically brought to a timely end with respect to the progressingportions of the noodle elements by discharge of the latter from theconveyer apron 13 through the drop chute or hatchway 30 into theannealing chamber Ill. The noodle material thus delivered into theannealing chamber ill falls upon the receiving end of the slowlytraveling conveyer apron 3|, so as to be carried thereby through theinterior of said annealing chamber. In this chamber air circulation issubstantially eliminated, but steam in suitably controlled amount isinjected thereinto to permeate the still atmosphere thereof. This steamtreatment is especially desirable in connection with an egg noodleproduct, since the moist warm atmosphere produced thereby tends to checkall tendency of the product to bleach and restores thereto the desiredcharacteristic yellow color; while at the same time the warmcomparatively still air tempers the surface of the noodle elementsagainst cracking or checking, while sufiicient time is allowed, duringthe travel of the product through the annealing chamber, to allow themoisture from the center or core of the paste dough to workfoutwardly tothe sur face portions thereof. The travel of the conveyer ,a'pron 3| isso timed that it will accommodate all the material discharged from thepreliminary drying chamber 9, and will at the same time move thereceived material at isuch speed through the annealing chamber as toassure attainment of the treatment effects above mentioned. At the endof the tempering and color restoring treatment, the noodle elements aredischarged from the conveyer apron 3| onto the receiving end of thefirst conveyer apron 38 of the final drying chamber H. The aprons are soarranged that this transfer occurs exteriorly of the final dryingchamber ll, so that direct communication between the interior of thesteam filled annealing chamber l0 and the final drying chamber II isavoided, to the end that steam from the former cannot enter the latterand deleteriously effect the warm dry air which is circulated throughthe latter. By the operation of the driving transmission the conveyeraprons 38 to 4| slowly carry the noodle elements back and forth throughthe final drying chamber ll. Here the noodle elements are subjected to afinal drying step produced by the circulation around and in contacttherewith of currents of warm dry air. These air currents are induced bythe action of the-impeller fans 6i, which drive the air taken in throughthe admission opening 49 into and through the air heating compartment52, returning the warm air into the top of the interior of the finaldrying chamber ll through the communication opening 56 for continuedcirculation in drying contact with the noodle elements. In order toassure the circulated air against too great saturation with moisture andto renew more or less the volume of dry air, the openings 51 may beopened, to such extent as best adapted to maintain desired conditions,so that some moist air may escape therethrough to be replaced byadditional incoming air admitted through the opening 49. The effect ofthe dry warm air, as-thus circulated in contact with the noodle elementstraveling throughthe final drying chamber II, is to gradually remove theremaining moisture from the paste dough, until, by the time the noodleelements are discharged through the passage 41 by the last conveyerapron 4|, the same are thoroughly dried and hardened into that conditionnecessary to permit packing and commercial handling thereof.

From the above description it will be apparent that the noodle elementswhile continuously under uninterrupted. movement through the apparatus,are nevertheless automatically subject to the required successive dryingtreatment steps, viz. preliminary drying, intermediate annealing andcolor restoration treatment, and then final drying. All this isaccomplished automatically with a minimum necessity for attention, andwithout need for intervening human handling of the material. By reasonofthis the process is one which especially commends itself from sanitarystandpoints and cleanliness, since handling of partially dried material,or exposure thereof to dusty or unclean surroundings is entirelyeliminated.

While the method and apparatus involved is especially adapted to thedrying of egg noodle products, it is also generally applicable to thedrying of short cut paste products of various kinds; and in the latterconnection the steam treatment may be omitted in the intermediateannealing step, and during this step submitting the product merely todry and comparatively still air, so that moisture from the central partsor core of the cut paste elements may work out to the surfacepreparatory to final drying treatment.

,The apparatus in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is arranged toprovide the preliminary drying, the annealing and the final dryingchambers in successive levels as parts of a single unitary housing orcabinet, as 6. In some factories, the

55 ceiling height may be too low to admit of installation of theapparatus so construed, in which case the housing or cabinet may bedivided into two sections as A and B schematically illustrated in Fig.5; section A to contain the preliminary dry- 60 ing and annealingchamber, and section B to contain the final drying chamber; a suitableintermediate conveyer, as C, being utilized to transfer the materialunder treatment from the annealing chamber of section A to the finaldrying 5 chamber of section B.

It will be obvious that various changes could be made in theconstruction of the apparatus, and that widely different embodiments ofthe invention, as well as variations in the steps of the 70 processingtreatment involved, could be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims. It is thereforeintended that all mattercOntained in the above description and'shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted-as illustrative and notin'a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, means to provide a series ofsuperimposed segregated enclosed chambers to provide in successive orderfrom top to bottom a preliminary drying chamber having means tocirculate air therein, an intermediate chamber to contain relativelystill air, and a final drying chamber having means to circulate airtherein; a plurality of traveling mesh screen belts withinsaidpreliminary chamber over which the material treated is successivelypassed, said belts being of such number as to determine a relativelylong period of submission of said material to the circulating air withinsaid preliminary chamber; a single traveling belt within saidintermediate chamber over which the material is passed for a relativelyshort period of submission to the still air ofsaid intermediate chamber;a plurality of traveling mesh screen belts within said final chamberover which the material is successively passed, said belts exceeding innumber those of said preliminary drying chamber so as to determine aperiod of submission of the material treated to the circulating airwithin said final chamber longer than that in said preliminary dryingchamber; and means to transfer the material by gravity successively fromthe belt means of one chamber to that of a succeeding chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described as defined in claim 1, meansfor charging the still air of said intermediate chamber with steam, andmeans to heat at will the air circulated respectively in saidpreliminary and final drying chambers.

3. In apparatus for the purposes described,

means to provide a series of successive enclosed chambers comprising apreliminary drying chamber having means to circulate air therein, anintermediate chamber to contain relatively still air, and a final dryingchamber having means to circulate air therein; a plurality of conveyerbelts within said preliminary chamber over which the material treated issuccessively passed, said belts being of such number as to determine arelatively long period of submission of said material to the circulatingair within said preliminary chamber; a single conveyer belt in saidintermediate chamber over which the material is passed for a relativelyshort period of submission to the still air therein; a plurality ofconveyer belts within said final chamber over which the material issuccessively passed, said belts exceeding the number of those of saidpreliminary drying chamber so as to determine a period of submission ofthe material treated to the circulating air within said final chamberlonger than that in said preliminary drying chamber; and means totransfer the material successively from the belt means of one chamber tothat of a succeeding chamber.

4. In apparatus for the purposes described as defined in claim 3, meansfor charging the still air of said intermediate chamber with steam, andmeans to heat at will the air circulated respectively in saidpreliminary and final drying chambers.

NICHOLAS J. CAVAGNARO.

